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2011 Season - Augustana vs. Millikin Preview

Junior Brett McWilliams is Augustana's leading rusher this season. He and the rest of the Vikings open CCIW play by hosting Millikin Saturday at 6:00 p.m. as part of Family Weekend festivities.

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - After a week away from competition, coach Rob Cushman's Augustana football team opens College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play this Saturday, October 1, hosting the Millikin Big Blue in a 6:00 p.m. contest at Ericson Field that will be part of Family Weekend festivities. After three narrow non-conference losses to teams with a combined record of 10-2, the Vikings will be looking for their first win of 2011. Millikin enters the contest at 2-1.

Statistically, Augustana is averaging 16.7 points on offense through three games while allowing an average of 22.0. The Vikings have produced 135.7 yards a game on the ground and 181.7 through the air for a total of 317.3 per game. Opponents are averaging 140.7 yards rushing and 199.3 passing for a total 340.0.

Like the Vikings, Millikin enters Saturday's contest coming off a bye week. The Big Blue are 2-1 on the year. After dropping a 34-30 overtime heartbreaker to Illinois College at home in their season opener, they rebounded with road wins at Greenville (51-13) and Hope (27-15).

Junior quarterback Matt Holmes directs a balanced Millikin offense that averages 370.3 total yards (193.3 rushing and 177.0 passing) and 33.0 points per game. A threat with his legs as well as his arm, he's completed 32 of 54 passes (.593) on the year for 488 yards and four touchdowns. He's been intercepted just once and is also the team's second-leading rusher with 138 yards and a team-high four touchdowns on 27 carries (5.1 yards per carry). Junior running back Tyler Rousch is the Big Blue's leading rusher with 275 yards and two touchdowns on 47 carries (5.9 ypc).

Junior Erik Tobey and sophomore Tommy Eichenauer have been Holmes' most frequent targets. Tobey leads the team with 12 catches for 176 yards (14.7 yards per reception) and two touchdowns, while Eichenauer has an identical number of yards on nine catches (19.6 per reception) with one touchdown grab.

Defensively, the Big Blue surrenders averages of 373.3 yards and 20.7 points per contest. Opponents have rushed for 182.0 yards per game (4.2 per carry) and thrown for 191.3 on 56.8 percent completions. Individual leaders on Millikin's defense include senior linebacker Keith Burczak's 30 tackles (11 solo and 19 assists). Senior free safety Nick Kronmiller (11-18-29), junior linebacker Marquette Moore (9-20-29) and sophomore linebacker Mitchell Caffey (14-13-27) are also among the leading tacklers for the Big Blue. Caffey leads with two forced fumbles, while Moore has recovered two.

Sophomore linebacker Jake Hazelton leads Millikin with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, while junior cornerback Sonnie Rollins has team bests of two interceptions and four passes defended.

MILLIKIN SERIES RECORD: Augustana leads the all-time series 40-30-1. The Vikings won 28-24 last year in Decatur, Illinois when Lee and Abbey hooked up on a six-yard touchdown pass with 1:00 left in the game.

2011 CCIW STANDINGS

School

CCIW

Overall

Carthage

0-0

3-0

Illinois Wesleyan

0-0

3-0

North Park

0-0

3-0

Wheaton

0-0

3-0

Elmhurst

0-0

2-1

Millikin

0-0

2-1

North Central

0-0

2-1

AUGUSTANA

0-0

0-3

2011 AUGUSTANA VIKINGS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE/RESULTS

DATE

OPPONENT

SITE

SCORE/TIME

September 1

Dubuque

HOME

L, 13-18

September 10

Central of Iowa

Pella, Iowa

L, 23-31

September 17

Adrian

HOME

L, 14-17

October 1

*Millikin (Family Weekend)

HOME

6:00 p.m.

October 8

*North Central

Naperville, Illinois

7:00 p.m.

October 15

*Carthage

HOME

6:00 p.m.

October 22

*North Park (Homecoming)

HOME

1:00 p.m.

October 29

*Wheaton

Wheaton, Illinois

1:00 p.m.

November 5

*Elmhurst

HOME

1:00 p.m.

November 12

*Illinois Wesleyan

Bloomington, Illinois

1:00 p.m.

* - College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin game

HEAD COACH ROB CUSHMAN

Rob Cushman is in his first season as the head coach of the Augustana football program. He has spent the previous three seasons serving as the Viking defensive coordinator. His coaching career began at Cal State-Chico in 1979. His first head coaching position was at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, Oregon, where he spent five seasons before being named the first head coach at Feather River College in Quincy, California in 2002. He led the fledgling program to a 34-21 (.618) record in five seasons, reaching a post-season bowl game each year. He served as special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York in 2007, prior to coming to Augustana.

CUSHMAN'S RECORD AS HEAD COACH

OVERALL CONFERENCE

YEAR

WON

LOSS

PCT

WON

LOSS

PCT

SCHOOL

1997

4

6

.400

Eastern Oregon

1998

6

4

.600

Eastern Oregon

1999

5

5

.500

Eastern Oregon

2000

2

8

.200

Eastern Oregon

2001

1

8

.111

Eastern Oregon

Eastern Oregon Totals

18

31

.367

2002

6

5

.545

Feather River

2003

9

2

.818

Feather River

2004

6

5

.545

Feather River

2005

7

4

.636

Feather River

2006

6

5

.545

Feather River

Feather River Totals

34

21

.618

College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin

2011

0

3

-

0

0

-

Augustana

Augustana Totals

0

3

.000

0

0

-

CAREER

52

55

.486

ROB CUSHMAN BY THE NUMBERS: Hereis a closer look at Rob Cushman's record at Augustana College.